THE PARADOX OF OUR AGE
We have bigger houses but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicines, but less healthiness;
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
more conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgement;more experts, but more problems;
more medicines, but less healthiness;
We've been all the way to the moon and back,but have trouble crossing the street to meet
the new neighbor.
We build more computers to hold more
information to produce more copies then ever,
but have less communication;
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods
but slow digestion;
Tall men but short character;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It's a time when there is much in the window,
but nothing in the room.
.......His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama
I couldn't find a better description of current times than the one above by His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama.
Entire nation, The politicians, religious scholars, social workers, intellectuals, are seemingly caught up in a long argument on corruption/Anna Hazare.....But this time around "Common Man" isn't only listening, he is talking (basically arguing)too..... Few years back I read a book by Nobel laureate Dr Amartya Sen "The Argumentative Indian"....I was wondering if it will make an interesting read in current scenario ....perhaps YES...go figure out...I have been reading views of eminent intellectuals on this issue for last couple of days and had opportunity to interact with some....some great articles which come to my mind written by , Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, Shobhaa De, Aseem Chhabra, Pratap Bhanu Mehta etc make an interesting read.
Looks like common man is spoilt for choice...if you research a bit you will realize choice is not as simple as some people will have you believe that it is .....you are either "Pro Anna" or "Anti Anna"..... here is a quick list of possible camps you may want yourselves to get associated with ----------
1. I believe in Anna Hazare, the cause itself is secondary......
2. I believe in legally elected democratic government and its ways, there is no room for "Satyagraha" in modern India.
3. I believe in the "cause" (read corruption), who leads the crusade is immaterial. (not averse to Anna leading it, his clean image only makes the movement stronger)
4. I believe in the "cause" and "Anna Hazare" but what is he doing with likes of "Swami Agnivesh", "Bhushan Duo", "Baba Ramdev" etc
5. I believe in the "cause" and "Anna Hazare" but does not believe in "proposed solution i.e. Lokpal Bill".
6. I believe in the "cause" and "Anna Hazare" and "Lokpal Bill"
7. I believe in the "cause" and solution "Lokpal Bill" only if it promises to leave ME out of this (interesting camp for A Raja, Kalamadi and many more)
7. I am confused, i will go with the crowd
8. Somebody please tell me who is "Anna Hazare" and why so much crowd in "Ramlila Maidan"... isn't there still time for Deshara?
Now which camp do you belong to is completely your prerogative. And i guess there is nothing wrong with any of these camps as long as it is either just "state of mind" or translates into action which is "legal and constitutional". People gathered at Ramlila Maidan obviously make a statement on "lost faith on democratic institutions". If you perhaps do a nationwide survey then, i will not be surprised if you can easily slice India into such small pieces or may be more......Actually I would love if any one of you could suggest few more possible camps.....
I have another interesting observation. We could also profile ourselves on the basis of the "cause" itself in different personality types ---
1. I am only a bribe giver. I don't accept bribe. (read my earlier blog "corruption whose problem is it anyway")
2. I am only a bribe taker. I don't give bribe.
3. I do both.
4. I am a bribe giver (Honestly, i never had an opportunity to demand bribe...may be if i was in a position...well you couldn't be sure....power corrupts you see.....)
5. I do NONE.
Now hand on your heart...how many of us can claim to be personality type 5.... or worst, leave aside the past how many of us can at least vow that they would henceforth be type 5....anyways you can be of any one personality type and still be with either of the camps mentioned above....I only wish that at least our leader is type 5.....the kind of guts Anna Hazare has shown against the might of government , his personality type can easily be guessed....but that's for TODAY...sceptics would say who knows the future...ultimately POWER has power to corrupt...........
